Last week, a State Department official told reporters that the U.S. is considering granting Qatar the status of a major non-NATO ally; meanwhile, unconfirmed reports have been circulating that this wealthy Gulf emirate may be the next Arab state to normalize relations with Israel. Writing shortly before these developments, Edy Cohen explains that Doha’s policies are inimical to the interests of Israel, the U.S., and its own Arab neighbors:
Qatar stands out like a sore thumb against [a] renewed Arab consensus, through its support for the Muslim Brotherhood, cozy relationship with Iran, and funding of terrorist organizations. . . . Qatar, alone in its vehement objection to Israeli peace with the Gulf Arabs, has unleashed incessant vitriol against the normalization agreements, mainly through its state-owned broadcaster Al Jazeera.
Al Jazeera demonstrates its hypocrisy openly by broadcasting completely different messages to different audiences. When addressing the West it presents a liberal façade, but in Arabic, it fervently disseminates outrageous incitement against Israel and its deals with the UAE and Bahrain.
Al Jazeera has always viciously incited against Israel and encouraged violent Palestinian “struggle.” Its reports invariably present the Palestinians as the victims of an evil, merciless Israeli regime. The fact that most of Al Jazeera’s employees, including more than a handful of anchors, are of Palestinian descent gives this incitement a strong tailwind.
Read more on BESA Center: https://besacenter.org/perspectives-papers/qatar-pro-iran/